Mixing Chicks of Different Ages

[countr1chick]

how many chickens do you have all total? we only built our coop 4 x 8 because our son said our 8x10x6 coop was overkill. Our run is 12 x 18. we are starting out with a baker's dozen - 3 died at different times so i just bought 3 more half the age of the others. Your advice is appreciated.

 

[GJudy]

We have 12 grown hens laying in a larger house and run. The 'brooder' house is smaller --,maybe 5x5 with a 6x15 run. The babies stay in a masonite circle until they are big enough to try to get out of it. there are 27 babies at the moment.

 

[donrae]

how many chickens do you have all total? we only built our coop 4 x 8 because our son said our 8x10x6 coop was overkill. Our run is 12 x 18. we are starting out with a baker's dozen - 3 died at different times so i just bought 3 more half the age of the others. Your advice is appreciated.

Your son clearly does not understand chicken math

. Bigger is always better!

With your coop size, depending on your area and climate, I would say 8 birds would max out your space. With your nice large run you may be able to fudge that a little, but the coop is where they'll hang out for most of the bad weather, and there's got to be enough roost space for everyone.

 

[Nanasheila]

 

[willinontario]

I have one 4 day old BCM chick. She is the only one that hatched out of 14 shipped eggs. I thought she was so lonely. Then yesterday I had 2 Dorking chicks hatch out. They are so cute and tiny. I put the 4 day old in with the 1 day old chickens and 4 day old constantly pecks their toes and then she started pecking at their eyes. I was so afraid she would blind one of them I took her back out. Now I have to keep 2 areas clean. Any suggests? HELP!

i had a similar thing. one of my eggs was three or four days later to hatch, so put the little guy in with his siblings in the cardboard box i start out with in new hatchlings.. pecking started, so had to separate them, but only one heat lamp. so i grabbed a picture frame glass and slid it down on the corners of the box, thus creating two different zones. each could see the other but do no damage. after a few days i introduced them, then later then went to their normal brooding place together.